Short answer
It is better to avoid it. Abu Hanifa allowed men to sit and sleep on silk, but his two main students disliked it, and a hadith says the Prophet ﷺ forbade sitting on silk. A silk eye mask is worn on the face like clothing, so men should not use one. Women may use silk freely, and polyester satin is not silk.
Wearing silk is haram for men. Using silk as a sheet, mattress or pillow is permitted according to Abu Hanifa and makruh according to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad, so caution lies in avoiding it. Items worn on the body, such as an eye mask or cap, are treated as wearing.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Using silk as bedding or sitting on it is haram for men, based on the hadith of Hudhayfah.
- Hanbali
- Spreading silk to sit or lie on is haram for men, as with wearing it.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said: do not wear silk, for whoever wears it in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter. Hudhayfah reported that he forbade the men from wearing silk and brocade and from sitting on it. Wearing silk is haram for men in all four schools; see is silk haram for men.
Sitting and lying on silk is where the Hanafi scholars differ. Abu Hanifa held it permitted, because the clear prohibition is about wearing, and lying on something is not wearing it. Abu Yusuf and Muhammad disliked it, taking the hadith of Hudhayfah at face value. The other schools forbid it. With such a strong difference, the cautious course is to avoid silk bedding.
- Silk pillowcase or sheets: better avoided by men.
- Silk eye mask, sleep cap or bonnet: worn on the body, so not allowed for men.
- Satin made of polyester: not silk, so fine for everyone. Check the label: mulberry silk is real silk.
- A shared bed: if your wife sleeps on silk, the view of Abu Hanifa gives room, but a cotton or polyester satin pillowcase for you is the safer choice.
For silk ties, blends and small trims, see is silk haram for men. Women may use silk in every form; see can women wear gold, silver and silk.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 5837
Sahih... وعن لبس الحرير والديباج وأن نجلس عليه ...
"He forbade us from wearing silk and brocade, and from sitting on it."
Hudhayfah's report, the evidence of those who forbid silk bedding.
Sahih Muslim 2069
Sahih... لا تلبسوا الحرير فإنه من لبسه في الدنيا لم يلبسه في الآخرة ...
"Do not wear silk, for whoever wears it in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter."
The prohibition of wearing silk for men.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, section on clothing. Abu Hanifa permits using silk as a pillow and sleeping on it; Abu Yusuf and Muhammad dislike it.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Kitab Salat al-Khawf, chapter on what may be worn. The Shafi'i ruling that men may not use silk by spreading it.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on clothing. The Hanbali ruling on sitting and lying on silk.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.